Other Trafficking Group Activities
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Florida Gulf Coast University is holding a conference Thursday (today) on sex trafficking involving minors within the United States in partnership with Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The program is free and open to the public. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the Sugden Welcome Center on the university’s campus. It will end at noon.
The presenter will be Linda Smith, founder and president of Shared Hope International and a former U.S. Congresswoman.
SALSA: San Antonio Laredo Legal Services Advocacy Partnership A great program headed by Catholic Charities helps the area of Laredo find affordable legal services, especially for immigration issues. They have been working for over a year with law enforcement, non profits, the local bar, etc. to address the full-service needs of the victims of domestic violence, serious crime and human trafficking.Their plan is to increase the capacity there and then move on to Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and other isolated communities. They hold trainings for social service providers who want to become certified to help clients with immigration matters, and they work under the supervision of an attorney. Immigration attorneys are desperately needed in the Laredo area, and in most isolated communities, so this certification in immigration law is really going to help. SALSA is doing a great thing, and TRLA will be partnering with them as the build capacity throughout Texas!
César Chávez Road & U.S. Business 83 P.O. Box 188, San Juan, TX 78589 southtexascivilrightsproject@gmail.com
The South Texas Civil Rights Project will host its 4th annual Noche de Fiesta – Celebrating Commitment to the Community on Wednesday April 22nd, 2009. This event celebrates and honors individuals striving for human rights in our community. Proceeds from the evening will enable us to continue providing free legal assistance to low-income Valley residents and continue our advocacy for racial, social, and economic justice. One very successful aspect of these evenings has been our raffle and silent auction.
Please donate to our raffle or silent auction and support the work we do in the Rio Grande Valley. All donations will be acknowledged in the evening=s program booklet. The Raffle and Silent Auction Item Donation Form is attached. Past donations have included books, cds, magazines, gift baskets, gift certificates, art pieces, photo prints, jewelry, electronics, and furniture to name a few.
For over 30 years the South Texas Civil Rights Project (STCRP) has been effective in creating access to social and economic change by implementing the philosophy that community education and organizing go hand-in-hand with court action to solidify legal and systemic changes. STCRP serves the community’s large number of immigrant and low-income population. Our area in deep South Texas is on the U.S./Mexico border, with an approximate population of 1.1 million with historically high poverty levels, and is home to 5 of the poorest counties in the nation.
The South Texas Civil Rights Project has had tremendous success for the past thirty years, but much more remains to be done. We cannot afford to do this work without your support. Thanks to community support in the past, STCRP has produced real results – results that have influenced and brought about systemic change. Your donation to our raffle and silent auction will help us continue to provide this much needed service to low-income Valley residents.
Your support will allow us to continue to protect civil rights and will be greatly appreciated by the people we assist. Thank you.
South Texas Civil Rights Project A Project of Oficina Legal Del Pueblo Unido, Inc.
César Chávez Road & U.S. Business 83 P.O. Box 188, San Juan, TX 78589 southtexascivilrightsproject@gmail.com
HUMAN TRAFFICKING SUMMER INSTITUTE
CHILDREN AT RISK will launch the first Human Trafficking Summer Institute in 2009 for law students, who plan to practice in Texas, to be educated as ambassadors who will inform legal and law enforcement communities about human trafficking. The Summer Institute will be an intensive 6-week summer program designed to increase awareness of human trafficking issues and promote further research and education in the area.
The program will include background information and training on human trafficking issues, involvement in local clinics, and site visits to other Texas cities where trafficking is prevalent. CHILDREN AT RISK is partnering with other local and statewide organizations, such as Catholic Charities, YMCA, the University of Houston Immigration Clinic, and the Houston Rescue & Restore Coalition, to offer students a wealth of resources and hands-on field experience. Students will also be required to produce a document on the “State of Human Trafficking” in Texas and provide outreach to service providers, government entities, and victims.
By raising awareness among these sectors, victims will become more easily identified and, consequently, eligible for treatment. If you know a law student (planning to practice in Texas) who is interested in becoming a human trafficking Fellow this summer, send their resume to jsolak@childrenatrisk.org.
http://www.childrenatrisk.org/childrenatrisk.cfm?a=cms,c,738
CHILDREN AT RISK has been awarded $20,000 by the Texas Bar Foundation to found this program. Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $9 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation’s largest charitably-funded bar foundation.
And it’s made without slavery
for YOU, Valentine!
Did you know…. 70% of the world’s chocolate is produced in West Africa, where an estimated 12,000 children are currently in slavery. That’s right, over two-thirds of all of the chocolate we consume every day. Without a screening process that ensures child and/or forced labor was not used, we have no guarantee that the chocolate we buy is not promoting modern slavery. So, what can you do?
This Valentine’s Day, we’re calling you to give love and spread justice by purchasing your chocolate Fair Trade.
“Here are two examples of the best Fair Trade Chocolate we’ve found! I encourage you to support these companies this Valentine’s Day when you do your chocolate shopping. And keep a look out for Not For Sale’s Conscious Consumer Campaign, coming soon! We’ll be offering you ways to get Fair Trade chocolate into your local stores. All part of Free2Work… launching in late February!”
- Kilian Moote, NFS Program Director
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Another Way to Share the LoveFebruary 14th is fast approaching! The Not For Sale Freedom Store has all kinds of gifts — from books, to shirts, to jewelry — that just might be the perfect present you’re looking for.
Order soon from the Freedom Store to ship in time for Valentine’s Day. What better way to share the love! |
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Theo Chocolate:
“Because Chocolate Grows on Trees!”
Theo Chocolate, the first and only organic and Fair Trade chocolate factory inside the United States, carefully screens all its ingredients to ensure they meet their standards for social and environmental responsibility. As a wholesale producers inside the United States Theo Chocolate offers competitive wholesale prices.
What Makes Theo Unique:
Using only pure ingredients that are grown sustainably. They source their ingredients locally whenever possible, and ensuring that their growers are earning a liveable wage and have access to education for their families.
Click HERE to find a Theo chocolate supplier near you, or click HERE to visit Theo’s online Chocolate store. Yum!
Equal Exchange:
Equal Exchange’s organic fairly traded chocolates offer consumers a delicious way to support small-scale farmers and their communities. As a leading U.S. purveyor of organic Fair Trade chocolate, all of Equal Exchange’s bars and cocoas support a sustainable and just supply chain.
To be Fair Trade Certified, Equal Exchange has followed numerous regulations, including adhering to International Labor Organization Conventions 29, 105, and 138 on child labor and forced labor.
For delicious Fair Trade chocolate, click HERE to visit Equal Exchange’s online store! For information on purchasing wholesale, contact Equal Exchange at 774-776-7333 or email: orders@equalexchange.coop
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This Week on the Backyard Abolitionist Tour:Come join David Batstone, Brant Christopher, and the Not For Sale team for a FREE Backyard Abolitionist event in Northern California! Thursday, Jan 29
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The Freedom Network is the largest network of agencies working on combating human trafficking. They will be hosting their annual conference in Dallas next month. Read More:
Trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transporting, providing or obtaining, by any means, any person for forced labor, slavery or servitude in any industry or site such as agriculture, construction, prostitution, manufacturing, begging, domestic service or marriage.
Freedom Network Principles
* All human beings have the right to live free from forced labor, slavery or servitude.
* All trafficked persons have rights, even if they are undocumented or hold false papers.
* All trafficked persons have the right to become empowered through the receipt of culturally-sensitive, victim centered services, support and training.
Members of the Freedom Network (USA) have provided services to trafficked persons in some of the major trafficking cases in the United States to date and have actively promoted a human rights response to trafficking worldwide and in the United States.
FREEDOM NETWORK 2009 HUMAN TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE
The Sixth Annual
Paul & Sheila Wellstone Award
to recognize individuals who have made a unique or outstanding contribution
to combating human trafficking and slavery in the United States
presented by the Freedom Network (USA)
at the 7th Annual Conference in Dallas, Texas
Freedom Network Training Institute to offer
“Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery: Practical Tools for an Effective Response”
Go to http://www.freedomnetworkusa.org/ for more information
Trafficking starts in the community and it will be stopped by the community
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STOP THE TRAFFIK BOOK IN THE WRITING
Have you wanted one place to go to find answers about what trafficking is, stories of those who have been trafficked, useful facts when someone asks you and you just don’t know AND actions you can take to begin to change yours and other people’s lives to bring freedom.
“STOP THE TRAFFIK People shouldn’t be bought and sold” will be published in November. A book packed with story, facts and action to inspire community action and Traffik Free choices.
STOP THE TRAFFIK PEOPLE’S LECTURE
STOP THE TRAFFIK is launching its first INTERNATIONAL lecture given by Cherie Blair on 27 November at a LONDON VENUE.
This is the people’s lecture.
This is a lecture for you to hear from Cherie Blair, an internationally acclaimed human rights lawyer and from Steve Chalke Chairman STOP THE TRAFFIK and UN Special Advisor for Community Action Against Human Trafficking.
We hope to have the lecture available on the website after the event for everyone to read or listen to.
If you would like to attend the lecture e-mail info@stopthetraffik.org to be added to the invite list.
NEW FILM COMING SOON
Featured Interviews, ground breaking footage of an international good news story. Out soon on the website
The latest STOP THE TRAFFIK film coming out in July will show you what STOP THE TRAFFIK has done and talk about the global movement that is building.
Who is the film for?
It’s an update for those who are part of STOP THE TRAFFIK and explores what we have got to do together.
It’s to show people who have never heard about trafficking and inspire them to join.
For use in schools, community groups, on blogs and websites. It is the best introduction to our global campaign.
Trafficking begins in the community and it will be stopped by the community
The book, film and lecture are resources to inspire community action. We believe that when people act things change.
Thank you for being part of STOP THE TRAFFIK
STOP THE TRAFFIK Coordinating Team
Enquiries: info@stopthetraffik.org
1 Kennington Road, London SE1 7QP
+44 (0)20 7921 4258
New York Coalition
About two hundred people showed up bright and early for the conference at Niagara University. They settled in with hot coffee and pastries ready to hear about the legal fight to halt the estimated $16 billion human trafficking industry. But they were woken up quickly to the very human side of this dark business.
Toronto journalist Victor Malarek spent two years interviewing victims in several countries. And he did not flinch from telling people exactly what he found out -young girls, tortured and living in fear.
Malarek recounts these and other horrifying realities in his book, The Natasha’s: Inside the New Global Sex Trade. He said people need to open their eyes to what is happening all over the world to young women and girls.
Hundreds of thousands are taken to other countries and forced to work as sex slaves. He said some are lured from desperation to other countries with false promises of a legitimate job and a better life.
And many are sold into slavery by those who are supposed to protect them. Malarek said orphanages in Russia are prime suppliers of some of the youngest victims.
And officials say no one is paying much attention to them when they show up in our neighborhoods either. The December sting revealed that eleven Asian women were held as sex slaves in some of Western New York’s most unsuspecting suburbs.
Amy Fleischauer is coordinator for Trafficking Victims’ Services at the International Institute in Buffalo. She said the community ca not pretend it is not happening here.
She said the Buffalo Niagara region is a prime spot for human trafficking. Partly because of its border location, she said the region serves as a pass through and training ground for Toronto and New York city. But she said there is also plenty of demand right here, not only for sex slaves, but for all kinds of slave labor, from agricultural to domestic.
And she said the victims are not necessarily foreign born – some are United States citizens, and include women, girls, men and boys.
Last year, she said the Institute helped about one hundred victims. But Flaischauer said this is probabaly only the tip of the ice berg. Getting the public to help identify victims is one problem. But she said many victims are too fearful of their captors to seek help or prosecution.
The institute works with local and federal law enforcement on the task force to coordinate the best response and enforcement. Lev Kubiak is the Special Agent in Charge in Buffalo for the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Kubiak said human trafficking is a top priority for his office. He said these are victims, not illegally transported goods, or people willingly smuggled into the country.
Journalist Malarek said conferences like the one Wednesday are a good start toward making victims whole. But he said people around the world need to become outraged and put an end to what he calls the worst human rights violation of our time.
Offiiclas say tips from the public are the best tool in their fight against human trafficking. They ask people to be aware of any signs that could indicate their are victims being held against their will, such as fearfulness, or a high volume of male customers at a business.
Click the “listen” icon above to hear Joyce Kryszak’s story now or use your podcasting software to download it to your computer or iPod.
